Unusual server backup system request

[Coorisnar]

I've had a request from a client for a rather unusual server redundancy setup for their office.

They have recently upgraded to a new server running Win2k Server SBS. It is up and running fine, including Exchange.

They have now requested that the old server be setup as a redundant server. The intention is that if the new server dies, the old server can be put in it's place, the data drives (5 SCSI RAID drives), put in, and they will be up and running. To allow for this the old server has been fitted with a hot swap bay, exactly the same as the one in the new server, in addition to its original hotswap bay and drives. The OS has been reinstalled on the old server.

Now I run into the problem of, how do we synchronize all of the settings, users, programs and so on on the two servers, so that when the data drives are swapped, we will be looking the same on the old server as we are on the new one.

Or maybe a better question is...is this even possible?

What ever information you need to answer this question, I will supply or find out if I need to.

 

[comtec17]

You will need some sort of Asynchronous Replication software to replicate the data drive information to the other server.

 

[birky]

don't think it can be done with SBS without spending decent amount of cash on 3rd party replication, clustering would of been the best idea for this.

Personaly I'd just ensure that they have good backups or use a BMR solution.

PinnacleData Systems (UK)

 

[Coorisnar]

Problem is not the data drives. Problem is replicating the new server onto the old one. So that all settings, updates, programs (including proprietary ones) all replicate as well.

Data drives are setup so they can be moved from the new system to the old one already.

And Birky...what is a BMR?

 

[comtec17]

BMR = Bare Metal Restore

 

[birky]

With SBS I think you are going to be limited...if it had been Server 2k3 then you could have implemented a small cluster.

If you don't want to spend cash on a 3rd party replication solution then this may help.

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...4c95-b5af-100b89e02add/SBS_MigratingSBS2k.doc

No matter what you do...without spending cash then the company would experience some downtime whilst the data is migrated.

PinnacleData Systems (UK)

 

[nath01]

DFS will do the trick that will replicate the data,

also you could use robocopy to mirror the data,

the backup server will have to be a domain controaler and exchange server so the users can log on if the current server goes down, exchange will be needed to restore the exchange database to.